Titans' Rishard Matthews, whose brother died in Afghanistan, honored with American flag

Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews, whose brother died in Afghanistan, was honored with an American flag before playing the Bears at Nissan Stadium.

Buy Photo

Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) is tackled by Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) after a catch during the first quarter of a preseason game Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, at Nissan Stadium.(Photo: George Walker IV / The Tennessean)Buy Photo

The Titans’ wide receiver, whose half-brother, Christopher Ruiz, died in Afghanistan in 2015, was presented with an American flag in his brother’s honor before the team’s 19-7 preseason loss to the Bears on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.

“They just told me that I was going to meet with a military family,” Matthews said later, “and I just thought, you know, ‘I’ve got a military background.’ I just thought I was showing them love before the game. And then that came out. It kind of hit me sideways, because, you know, it got me all emotional before the game.”

Matthews had a team-high 54 receiving yards on three catches against the Bears, as the Titans’ first-team offense struggled, playing into the fourth quarter before scoring its lone touchdown of the game. Matthews led the Titans in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns last season, his first with the team.

Matthews’ father and half-brother both served in the Marines. Ruiz was killed in a plane crash in 2015 while working as a private defense contractor in Afghanistan.

Before Matthews was drafted out of Nevada in the seventh round by the Dolphins in 2012, he played two seasons in college with controversial former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey shakes hands with Bears head coach John Fox after Bears' 19-7 win in a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Bears wide receiver Tanner Gentry (19) celebrates his touchdown in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans defensive end Angelo Blackson (95) stops a run by Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans quarterback Matt Cassel (16) rushes for some yards in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey watches his team in the closing minutes of the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey watches his team in the closing minutes of the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) goes in for the score as Titans offensive guard Josh Kline (64) clears the path in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) gives a fan the ball after the touchdown by running back Derrick Henry (22) in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) gains some yards in the third quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans kicker Ryan Succop (4) reacts to his missed field goal with holder Brett Kern (6) in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Bears on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, at Nissan Stadium. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans defensive end DaQuan Jones (90) goes up high but can't stop a field goal by Bears kicker Connor Barth (4) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) hits the ground after a catch in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans long snapper Ryan DiSalvo (59) takes down Bears quarterback Mike Glennon (8) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (74) blocks a punt by Titans punter Brett Kern (6) in the second quarter of a preseason game Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, at Nissan Stadium. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (74) blocks a punt by Titans punter Brett Kern (6) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Bears tight end Adam Shaheen (87) pounces on the blocked punt for a safety in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans offensive guard Quinton Spain (67) is ejected after fighting in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans offensive guard Quinton Spain (67) is escorted off the field after being ejected in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Bears on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, at Nissan Stadium. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Head linesman Greg Bradley (98) and side judge Alex Kemp (55) try to break up a fight between the Titans and Bears in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey argues the call after offensive guard Quinton Spain (67) is ejected in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) is tackled by Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (23) after a catch during the first quarter of a preseason game Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, at Nissan Stadium. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans running back DeMarco Murray (29) tries to escape the grasp of Bears strong safety Quintin Demps (21) in the first quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey watches his team during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Bears tight end Dion Sims (88) pulls in a catch for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans long snapper Ryan DiSalvo (59) wraps up Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) in the first quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans inside linebacker Avery Williamson (54) runs onto the field before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) catches a pass during warmups before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans offensive tackle Tyler Marz (69) and teammates head onto the field before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Mularkey watch the team warm up before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans cornerback Adoree' Jackson (25) makes a catch during warmups before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Titans quarterbacks Alex Tanney (11) and Marcus Mariota (8) come onto the field before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Matthews initially criticized his former teammate’s decision to kneel during the national anthem before games, a protest against police brutality and unfair treatment of minorities, thinking it a slight toward the military, but has since changed his mind.

“Being somebody who’s had a family member pass away in the military, I think a lot of people, even myself, looked at it the wrong way,” Matthews told The Tennessean in May, as Memorial Day weekend approached. “But if you take a deeper perspective on it and understand what he’s doing, I think that he’s doing a great thing and I think that he’s definitely not on a team because of that.”

“The dude – it’s crazy because I started playing football in Clovis, N.M.,” Matthews said, providing some backstory, “and my coach that helped me out while I was down there, he told me just to sign a jersey and send it, and I didn’t know who I was signing a jersey for. It just so happened that the guy that I signed the jersey for, that was him. They just gave me a flag for my brother and it was a neat thing. It was very touching.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.